Discoveries
by thedancinggallifreyan
Summary: Series of drabbles and oneshots on how each of the members of the Gaang discovered they were (or weren't) benders. Secret santa gift for hailedloco on tumblr.
1. Aang

**This is my secret santa gift for hailedloco on tumblr.**

**As requested "a series about how everyone in ATLA or LOK learned they were or weren't benders". For Aang, because I'm pretty sure all air nomads were benders, I simply wrote about the first time he ever airbended (airbended? airbent? hm)**

**I hope you enjoy hailedloco. A belated Merry Christmas to you!**

Ying sighed. She was exhausted after having delivered Mandrell's baby. She yearned for nothing more than an hour or so of meditation, a bath, and to go to bed. Unfortunately, she was on duty in the nursery that night, and was late due to the unexpected delivery.

She entered the darkened room and scanned it to locate the current nomad on duty. She only noticed him after he flagged her down from the corner, where he was standing over one child's crib. She stretched her back as she trudged over to him.

"Sorry I'm late," she whispered.

"That's alright," the monk she now recognized as Endyo replied, "babies come whenever babies please. And it has been rough ever since Yungchi departed. We've all been stretched thin." He kept his gaze on the young child as he spoke.

"It wouldn't be so hard," Ying murmured, "if we didn't also have to deal with the pain of losing her."

The young monk turned to her.

"I've found it best, that when mourning losses, to celebrate gains," he said wearily, "especially..."

He trailed off while turning back to look at the child. Ying turned to look as well. The boy couldn't have been older than a year and a half. Ying recognized him.

"Aang?" she said quizzically, "what gains does he offer? He is neither a new life, nor has shown great bending abilities. In fact, he hasn't bent at all, which you and I both know is highly unusual for a child of his age."

"Oh," Endyo started walking towards the exit, motioning for Ying to follow, "you haven't yet heard."

"Heard what?" Ying said as she walked quietly behind him, "did he finally bend?"

"No," Endyo had reached the door of the nursery and looked up and down the hall before turning back to Ying, lowering his voice, "they discovered he's the new Avatar."

Ying gasped. "Are they sure?"

"Oh, they are quite sure," Endyo said, "Li heard the council talking about it when they were here in the nursery yesterday. It's spread like wildfire among the caretakers."

Ying rolled her eyes, "Li is perhaps not the best source of information."

"Perhaps," Endyo took his outer robe off a hook on the wall and donned it, "but he is of the correct age. And I like to believe we have at least a little bit of good news in the nursery these days."

"Yes," Ying replied, "but I believe it better to be doubtful now and right later, than happy now and be disappointed when it turns out not to be true."

"That's my Ying," Endyo leaned over and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, "ever the pessimistic optimist. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Ying called after him as he walked down the hall, then turned back to the nursery, thinking of how one day they may be watching over a child they made together. She began making her way to the chair in the middle of the room when her thoughts were interrupted by a cry in the corner.

"Oh Aang," Ying approached the crib and carefully lifted him out as he continued to cry, "did you have a bad dream? Come on boy."

She sat down in the chair and slowly rocked him back and forth.

"Come on little one, don't be sad," she cooed, before beginning to sing a gentle lullaby. Unfortunately he started wailing louder, so Ying stood up and started bouncing the young one, while singing a lively ballad about two lovers. The boy's cries softened, and then turned to giggles.

"There we go," Ying kissed the boy on the head, "bring laughter instead of tears young one. Bring joy into the world."

Ying thought on what Endyo had said. Perhaps she should look on the world with greater joy. Like the joy of this boy, who laughter was getting louder and louder. But Ying soon realized that this joy was likely to cause all the other children to wake up.

"Hush now," Ying tried to quiet Aang, "mustn't wake the others."

Aang continued though. And as the other children began to stir, Ying panicked at the thought of a whole nursery awake in the middle of the night, and in a fit of desperation sent a small breeze into boy's face.

"HUSH," she whispered. In her shock she felt a large wind hit her in the face. She stumbled back a step in shock. She then looked around the room in a panic, certain that someone had come into the nursery and bent air into her face in response to her trying to shush Aang, as it was much too much bending to have come from one of the children.

"Is anyone there?" she questioned, "Endyo is that you?" She heard no answer and saw no one. As she was about to call out again, the breeze affronted her face again. She then turn to the child in her arms, who had ceased his giggling.

"Aang?" she said confused, "was that-"

Her sentence was interrupted as she saw the boy lift his arms and push them in her direction. The wind hit her face again, as did the realization. This bending was coming from him! But how? It was so much, and he had never bent before-

Her chain of thoughts ceased as she saw him sweep his arms, and a small tornado appeared on the ground. Words could not describe her shock. The tornado was not a complicated bending practice, but unprecedented to see from a child who, before this night, had never bent.

Ying returned Aang to his crib and began singing the lullaby to him again. She couldn't believe this little boy, who had never bent before today, gave such an impressive display of abilities. It was almost as if he knew that he was the Avatar, and that she doubted him.

"Well," Ying said to the boy after he slipped into slumber, "you still may not be the Avatar, but you will definitely be a powerful bender one day."

Ying went and slumped into the chair. Well, did she have news for Endyo. She sighed. He was going to be so smug about being right.

Maybe she could put off telling him.

**Ugh it's been forever since I've written. This was going to be a drabble but it got away from me. As did Ying and Endyo. I DIDN'T FREAKING MEAN FOR THEM TO BE A COUPLE. THEY DECIDED THAT ON THEIR OWN ACCORD. Also I dislike the ending. Sorry. I'm bad at endings.**

**I was kinda inspired to watch this whole chapter on Call the Midwife, which I was watching earlier.**

**Please review, I'd love some feedback. Future chapters will _maybe_ be more drabbleish. If they go as planned.**


	2. Katara

**Katara this time! I figure Katara's five and Sokka's seven when their mom dies, and they know Katara's a bender then, so for this story Katara's four and Sokka's six.**

"This is all your fault Katara!" Sokka yelled as he and his sister scrambled down the snowy incline

"No it's not," Katara yelled back, "you're the one who wanted to hunt!"

That much was true. Their mom had mentioned to their dad earlier in the day how much she was craving some Arctic Henduck, which was rare this time of year. Sokka had taken it upon himself, having seen one of the birds earlier that week, to go out and get one. He dragged Katara along, as they were supposed to being playing together to stay safe.

That, however, was the opposite of what they were doing, when Katara accidentally caused a small avalanche by screaming that she had spotted the object of their hunt. The bird flew away and the snow flew down the slope after the siblings as they ran. Katara could feel the snow peppering her back. They were still a ways from the bottom of the hill when she slipped.

"Katara!" the six-year-old panicked as he saw his sister tumble down the slope, terrified she's been hurt.

Katara slowed as the hill leveled out. She landed on her back, snow surrounding her, chilling her to the bone. The wind was knocked out of her, but she was alive and unhurt. She quickly scrambled to her feet and ran several feet past the where she landed, so she'd be out of the way of the falling snow. That's when she turned back and saw her brother, the snow right behind him.

"Run Sokka!" she screeched. And run he did. He just reached the bottom of the hill when he legs gave way and he fell. The snow just moments behind him, Katara knew he'd be buried. Without thinking, she ran towards her brother.

"NO!" Katara cried, thrusting her arms in front of her just as the snow was about to engulfed her brother and her. She braced herself for the cold impact that never came.

She slowly opened her eyes. Sokka was lying on the ground, propped up on his elbows, looking at her with confusion. She looked at the snow around her. For the most part, the snow from the avalanche had covered the ground, stacking up past her head. But where she stood and Sokka laid, there was a circle that the avalanche had seemingly not touched.

"What happen?" Katara breathed out, looking at her brother, who was still panting from his race against the snow.

"You..." he said shakily, "you stopped it...you stopped the snow. It was coming right at me and you shot your arms out and..."

"I stopped it?" Katara said while looking at her hands, "how could I-"

She suddenly pushed her hands out in front of her. A mound of snow nearby moved back. Katara and Sokka looked at each other in shock.

"Mom! Dad!" Katara yelled as she began running back to the village, Sokka close behind, "you'll never guess what I did!"

**All reviews are welcome!**


	3. Toph

Toph giggled. A creature licked her cheek, and it tickled. She followed close behind as they walked.

They moved the earth. It was like magic. She felt the rumbling earth beneath her feet. She laughed.

One of the creatures nudged her. Toph stopped. Maybe... maybe they were trying to show her something.

She thrust her arm up. She heard a rock move... but she didn't just hear it.

She felt it. Just like when she felt the animals move.

Maybe this...thing.

Maybe it was her ticket.

After spending the evening playing with the animals she later learned were badgermoles, Toph ran home, excited to tell her parents of her new-found abilities.

She told them by bending a rock, which ending up flying into her great grandmother's vase.

Her parents weren't pleased. Oh, they acted like they were, for her sake, but Toph knew that it scared them.

Before her bending she was just a poor helpless blind girl to her parents. Now they saw her as a danger.

**Much more drabbleish than my other chapters. I just didn't really have any inspiration at all :P**


	4. Sokka and Zuko

**Felt like a joint chapter for Zuko and Sokka was in order. Hope you enjoy :)**

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Sokka was in shock- Katara was a bender. There hasn't been a bender at the South Pole in so long! Why did it have to be his little sister?

He sat back and listened as Katara recounted the story of her stopping the snow of the avalanche with her bending to their parents. Thankfully they were so pleased by the news that their daughter was a bender and that the two of them were safe that neither he nor Katara were in trouble.

His little sister. A bender. Life would definitely be different now.

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Zuko stood outside the door, watching Azula show their father what she had learned that day while firebending.

Why did she have to be such a prodigy, while he couldn't even produce a small flame. He loved his mother, but he hated that he took after her. Why did he have to be a non-bender.

Ozai applauded as Azula finished one of her new forms.

"That's my girl," he said, "powerful."

Zuko huffed and stormed down the hall.

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After he had accidentally been hit in the face by Katara's attempts at bending- twice- Sokka left the tent. He stalked through the village, trying to ignore people's glances and whispers. They had all heard what Katara yelled when she ran home.

"A bender" "Really?" "Well it's about time the South had another" "I wonder what her family makes of it" "Probably grateful, a bender can be very helpful"

He couldn't take it anymore and went for a walk outside the village.

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Zuko stomped into the courtyard. He paced back and forth in anger. His little sister- the prodigy. And him, the worthless prince. No talent to speak of. His rage was growing.

"Zuko go practice your writing," Zuko mimicked, "go work with your swords. You'll need them without having bending."

He paced back and forth, anger growing and growing.

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Sokka was always fine being a non-bender. He was! But... now Katara was a bender. Now there was someone special. Some who could really help the family. And it wasn't him. He threw his arms down in frustration.

But...what if he WAS a bender? After all, there'd been no inclination that Katara was one until today. If they hadn't been in that avalanche, no one would have known. Katara didn't know until she threw he hands up in an attempt to stop the snow. She succeed. Maybe...maybe Sokka could succeed

"Please gods," he whispered, "let me be a bender."

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"Why gods?!" Zuko cried, "why couldn't you have made me a bender?"

He kicked a tree in his rage, causing his foot to throb in pain and the tree to shake and drop some leaves.

Zuko fell to his knees. Why did he have to be a failure? He stared a leaf on the ground in front of him and raised his hand to point at it.

If only he could light it on fire. But he wasn't a bender. He would have shown it ages ago if he was.

"Please gods," he whispered brokenly, "I need this miracle."

He shakily held a hand in front of himself. Fire. He wanted fire. He needed that leaf to catch fire.

And suddenly, it did.

Zuko shot back in shock- that couldn't have been him! He stared at his hand, before turning and thrusting it forward. Fire shot out!

It was a miracle! Zuko shot out flame after flame. They were small, but they were fire and they definitely came from him. He ran inside, ecstatic to show his father.

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Sokka threw his arms out in front of him again and again. He twisted them, shot them towards the sky, dropped them, and repeated. Again and again he tried to move the snow.

He had no idea how long he had been there, trying to move the snow that refused to budge, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

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"Father!" Zuko burst into the room as Azula and Ozai turned to look at their interrupter, "father look!"

He concentrated on his hand, holding it palm-up. Soon, a small flame burst forth.

"See," Zuko cried, "I did it! I can do it! I can firebend!"

"So you can," Ozai commented, his eyes on the small flame, "well we'll have to get you into lessons soon. You can't take down armies with a flame so small it could come from a candle."

"Yes father," said Zuko, still elated at his success.

Azula, however, was less than pleased at her demonstration being interrupted.

"Oh father," she said, "I have one more thing to show you."

"Yes my dear," Ozai turned back to her. She nodded, and then concentrated on her hand, just like Zuko had done. After a few seconds, a flame spark. It was not much larger than Zuko's, but Ozai gasped as the flame glowed blue.

"Now you see my son," Ozai said, "if you work for many years, one day you may have some of the abilities of your talented sister."

"Yes father," said Zuko, his mood sinking. He finally succeed, but nothing had changed. He slunk slowly out of the room as Azula began to show what she could do with the blue flame.

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"Dad," Sokka looked up at Hakoda.

"Sokka," he said gently, "what are you doing?"

"Well," Sokka swallowed and looked at his feet, "I thought, well, since we never knew until today that Katara was a bender that maybe- maybe I could be one too."

Hakoda sat in the snow and tugged his son's hand so that Sokka was sitting down facing him.

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Zuko leaned against the tree in the courtyard, staring at the charred remains of the leaf he burnt earlier.

"Zuko dear," Zuko shot up at the sound of his mother, "Zuko dearest I heard that you have some exciting news."

"It's nothing," Zuko mumbled.

"It's not nothing," his mother put her arm around his shoulder, "you can firebend! That's a wonderful discovery."

"But it's just a little flame," Zuko protested, "it's nothing like what Azula can do. She's the special one."

"Yes," Ursa replied, "Azula is special. But so are you."

"No I'm not," Zuko yelled, "it's just a little flame! I can't do anything with that. I can't defend myself, I can't burn down a forest, I can't be a war hero. Nothing."

"You are special," Ursa insisted, "you are Zuko. You are my son. You can defend yourself with the double swords that you are soon learning to master. Being a war hero takes more than bending, it takes intelligence, care for your troops, and bravery."

"But-" Zuko stammered.

"Zuko," Ursa responded, "I think you'll soon find that a small spark can quickly grow into a blaze. But, no matter what abilities you have, just know I will always love you.

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"Son, do you think I'm brave?" Sokka didn't know what his father was getting at.

"Yes of course," Sokka replied, "you're the bravest person I ever knew."

"Do you think I could defend myself in a fight?" Hakoda pressed.

"Yeah!" Sokka exclaimed, "anyone who has seen you practice your forms would know that."

Hakoda chuckled. "And do you think that I provide for you, and your mother, and Katara?"

Sokka sat still for a moment.

"Yes dad," he said quietly, "you've always been a great dad and leader of our tribe."

"Well son," Hakoda reached out and held his son's arm, "I'm all these things, and not a bender. Yes, having a bender in the family is a blessing, and Katara is very lucky. But some people are just born lucky."

"I'll say," Sokka said under his breath.

"But, that doesn't mean you'll never be just as helpful as Katara," Hakoda told his son, "it just means you have to work hard. You have to train. You have to fight for things in this world that won't be just to you as a bender. Mainly, you have to learn how to fight."

"How?" Sokka questioned.

"With this," Hakoda pulled his boomerang out of his sling, "one day you'll be a man, off to fight in the war. Having something like this, a skill like this, you'll be able to fight benders and non-benders alike. Don't ever let anyone tell you're not important because you're not a bender. Okay?" Hakoda held the boomerang out.

"Okay," Sokka smiled as he took the boomerang, cool in his hand. Hakoda stood and helped his son to his feet, and they walked back to the village together, Sokka throwing the boomerang the whole way.

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**I don't like this chapter. Bleh.**

**One more chapter to go!**


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